0ne early morning a sign of Spring appeared in the woods. It was a wise old owl who came to perch upon the limb of a tree not far from our house. He was rather quiet, except for a momentary eruption when he fanned his feathers, squawked and sent an intruding hawk on its way. Otherwise he slept throughout the day. Peace!
Please listen to the video from the next day. At the end of it you will hear the owl deep in the woods having his say.
I liked these quotes from Isabel Allende when I read her book, “A Portrait in Sepia.” Of course, What is Art? is a broad question, and new forms of art are constantly being explored, and expressed by artists. If you are a photographer, do you feel the search with your camera is a spiritual endeavor, a creation of truth and beauty? In what ways do other fleeting forms of reality consist, outside traditional norms? On portraits, I believe Allende has a dynamic point of view. Do you like to shoot portraits of friends, family, and strangers? What makes a portrait more than just a snapshot, legit in its way.?
Two quotes by Isabel capture her interpretation of photography as an art form.
The camera is a simple apparatus. Even the most inept can use it. The challenge lies in creating with her that combination of truth and beauty which one calls art. That search is above all spiritual. I look for truth and beauty in the transparency of a leaf in autumn, in the perfect form of the snail on the beach, in the curve of a feminine shoulder, in the texture of an old tree trunk, but also, in other fleeting forms of reality.
Upon making a portrait, one establishes a relation with the model, if only very brief, there is always a connection. The plate reveals not only the image, but also the feelings which flow between them.
Portrait in Sepia (2000) by Isabel Allende
Here is a portrait I made in 2015, called A Security Guard in Senegal.
Snow falls to the ground.
Gray sky, bare trees.
A chill in the air,
here to stay,
for today,
I'm afraid -
GRB
Heceta Lighthouse
Heceta Head Lighthouse can be seen on the peninsula in the distance. The light from the rotating prism casts a warning 20 miles out. Heceta Head has the longest visibility of any of the nine Oregon Sentinels. The 56 foot beacon towers 205 feet above the ocean. It first cast its light in 1894. Lighthouses are not only a technology for maritime safety but for many a symbol of hope and stability.
The brilliancy of this sign, characterized by the use of bold colors and block style lettering reinforces its message, which is “Remain Strong!”
Rainbow, overlooking a veranda, somewhere in California.
Stone with Cast Shadow
On Tiffany Creek 